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Bulldog Turner

January 30, 2023

Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner (March 10, 1919 – October 30, 1998) was an American football player and coach. He was elected, as a player, to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.

Bulldog Turner
Turner's 1948 Bowman Gum football card
No. 66
Position:Center,
Linebacker,
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:(1919-03-10)March 10, 1919
Plains, Texas
Died:October 30, 1998(1998-10-30) (aged 79)
Gatesville, Texas
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:Newman
College:Hardin–Simmons
NFL Draft:1940 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:17
Fumble recoveries:5
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Turner played college football as a center at Hardin–Simmons University from 1937 to 1939 and was selected as an All-American in 1939. After being selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1940 NFL Draft, he played professional football for the Bears, principally as a center on offense and linebacker on defense, for 13 years from 1940 to 1952. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro eight times (1940–1944, 1946–1948) and was a member of Bears teams that won NFL championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946.

After his playing career was over, Turner held assistant coaching positions with Baylor University (1953) and the Chicago Bears (1954–1957). He was the head coach of the New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL) during the 1962 AFL season.

Early years

Turner was born in Plains, Texas, in 1919,[1] the son of Willie Lloyd Turner (1895–1973) and Ida Fay (Rushing) Turner (1893–1984).[2] He attended Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater, Texas.[1] He played high school football for Sweetwater High at age 15 in 1934.[3]

Hardin–Simmons

Turner enrolled at Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, in 1936 at age 17. As a freshman, he weighed 172 pounds and "showed no outward signs of developing into a football player."[4] By the fall of his sophomore year, Turner had gained 18 pounds and won the job as the starting center on the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team.[4] By his senior year, he had increased his weight to 235 pounds.[4]

Early in his career at Hardin–Simmons, Turner and teammate A. J. Roy encouraged each other in practice sessions by referring to each other by nicknames. Turner was given the nickname "Bulldog", and Roy was known as "Tiger".[5] Turner later recalled his college experience as follows: "We got room, board and tuition, but we had to buy our own books and we were supposed to take care of two jobs. I had to sweep out the gym and wait tables, but I kind of farmed out the sweeping after a while. It was tough but I loved it. And the more I played, the more I liked the game."[3]

In September 1938, Turner first gained national attention when Associated Press photographer Jimmy Laughead, playing off Turner's strength and his background growing up in West Texas Hereford cattle country, took his picture posing with a 240-pound calf around his shoulders.[6][7][8] Turner later recalled posing with the calf: "That day about did me in. I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life."[3]

Turner played center for Hardin–Simmons for three years, and during that time, the football team compiled records of 8–0–1 in 1937, 8–2 in 1938, 7–1–1 in 1939.[9][10] At the end of the 1939 season, Turner was selected by the New York Sun as the first-team center on the 1939 College Football All-America Team.[11] He was also named to the Associated Press "Little All-America" team.[12] He played in post-season all-star games including the East–West Shrine Game on January 1, 1940, and the Chicago College All-Star Game on August 29, 1940.[13][4]

NFL playing career

In December 1939, Turner was selected by the Chicago Bears with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 1940 NFL Draft.[1] He was the only lineman selected in the first ten picks.[14] In June 1940, Turner signed a three-year contract with the Bears.[15]

While Turner was in college, he was the subject of recruitment efforts by George Richards, the owner of the Detroit Lions. An NFL investigation concluded that Richards had tampered with Turner by paying for Turner's dental work, giving him $100, and advising him to announce publicly that he would not play professional football so as to dissuade other teams from drafting him. The NFL fined the Lions $5,000 for the violation.[16]

As a rookie, Turner, at age 21, appeared in 11 games, nine of them as the starting center, for the 1940 Chicago Bears team that compiled an 8–3 record and defeated the Washington Redskins, 73–0, in the NFL Championship Game.[17] In the championship game, Turner intercepted a Sammy Baugh pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.[18] At the end of the 1940 season, he was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the Chicago Herald-American and as a second-team All-Pro by the National Football League (NFL), United Press (UP), and International News Service (INS).[19] He was one of only two rookies (Don Looney was the other) to receive All-Pro honors in 1940.[20]

In 1941, Turner appeared in all 11 games, 10 as a starter, for the 1941 Bears that compiled a 10–1 and again won the NFL championship. Turner was selected as the All-Pro center, receiving first-team honors on the so-called "official" All-Pro team selected by a committee of professional football writers for the NFL,[21][22] as well as All-Pro teams selected by the Associated Press (AP),[23] UP,[24] Collyer's Eye (CE),[25] the New York Daily News (NYDN),[25] and the Chicago Herald American.[1] The consensus selection of Turner as the NFL's top center marked a transition from Mel Hein, who had been a consensus All-Pro at the position for the prior nine years.[26] Turner was a unanimous All-Pro pick by the UP sports writers.[27]

In 1942, Turner started all 11 games and helped the Bears win the NFL Western Division title with an 11–0 record, though the team lost to the Washington Redskins in the 1942 NFL Championship Game. Turner led the NFL with eight interceptions in 1942.[28] He scored two touchdowns, one on an interception return and the other on a fumble recovery and return. At the end of the 1942 season, Turner was selected as the first-team center on the All-Pro team by the NFL, AP, INS, and NYDN.[29] Jack Mahon of the INS wrote that Turner "was in a class by himself at center this season."[30] Though invited to play in the Pro Bowl, he was unable to do so due to a throat infection.[31]

In 1943, Turner started all 10 games and helped the Bears win their third NFL championship in four years. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, INS, NYDN, and Pro Football Illustrated (PFI).[32] He was a unanimous pick by the AP sports writers.[33]

In 1944, Turner appeared in all 10 games for the Bears team that compiled a 6–3–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division. On December 3, 1944, Turner was shifted into the backfield late in a game against Card-Pitt; he had a 48-yard run for the only rushing touchdown of his career.[34] He was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, INS, and NYDN.[35] In his first five seasons with the Bears, he appeared in 58 consecutive games, played all 60 minutes in eight of those games, and won three NFL championships.[36]

 
At United States Army Air Forces basic training, 1945

In January 1945, Turner was inducted into the United States Army Air Forces and was assigned as a physical training instructor.[36] In 1945, he played for the Second Air Force Superbombers football team in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[36] He was granted furlough to play two games for the Bears and then returned to the Superbombers team where he finished the 1945 football season.[37][38] At the end of the season, Turner was the leading pick on the All-Army Air Forces conference football team.[39]

In March 1946, Turner rejected offers to play in the All-America Football Conference and signed a contract to return to the Bears.[40] He appeared in all 11 games, and helped lead the 1946 Bears to another NFL championship. At the end of the season, Turner was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, and NYDN.[41]

In 1947, Turner appeared in all 12 games for a Bears team that compiled an 8–4 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division. During the 1947 season, Turner intercepted a Sammy Baugh pass and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown,[42] a moment that Turner later selected as the highlight of his career.[43] At the end of the season, he was picked as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, NYDN, and PFI.[44][45]

In 1948, Turner again appeared in all 12 games for the Bears team that compiled a 10–2 record and again finished in second place in the NFL Western Division. For the eighth and final time, Turner was selected as a first-team All-Pro center, receiving first-team honors from AP, UP, PFI, and The Sporting News.[46][47]

Turner continued to play for the Bears for four more years, appearing in all 12 games each year from 1949 to 1952.[1] In his final year, he played at the offensive tackle position.[1][48] In 13 NFL seasons, Turner appeared in 138 regular season games and seven post-season games. He intercepted 17 passes in the regular season and four more in five NFL championship games. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro in eight of his 13 seasons.[1]

Turner was big for his day (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 237 lb (108 kg)); however, he was smart and very fast. Turner later boasted about his talent as a blocker: "I was such a good blocker, that the men they put in front of me – and some were stars who were supposed to be making a lot of tackles – they would have their coaches saying, 'why ain't you making any tackles?' they'd say, 'that bum Turner is holding.' Well that wasn't true. . . . I could handle anybody that they'd put in front of me."[49] According to George Halas, Turner was "perhaps the smartest player" he had in 40 years as the Bears' coach, a player who "knew every assignment for every player on every player."[16] Teammate George Musso once said of Turner, "Who knows what kind of player he would have been if he ever got to rest during a game?"[50]

Coaching career

Assisting coaching

During the 1952 NFL season, Turner was both a player for the Bears and an assistant coach responsible for instructing the guards and centers.[51]

In January 1953, after retiring as a player, Turner was hired as an assistant line coach at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He had a ranch in nearby Gatesville, and was responsible for coaching the offensive centers and defensive linebackers.[52] He resigned his post at Baylor in February 1954.[53]

Turner was an assistant coach for the Bears from 1954 to 1957.[54] He worked from the pressbox and communicated by telephone to George Halas about weaknesses he had observed in opponents' defenses.[55] He gave up his job with the Bears in 1958 to devote his full efforts to his ranch in Texas.[56]

New York Titans

In December 1961, Turner was hired as the head coach of the New York Titans of the American Football League.[57] Despite a pre-season injury to All-AFL fullback Bill Mathis, whose 846 rushing yards was second best in the 1961 AFL season, the Titans opened the season with a 2–1 record.[58] However, owner Harry Wismer was broke and unable to pay the players, who refused to practice and went on a two-day strike. Wismer threatened to put the entire team on waivers, and his erratic behavior, including hastily placing six starters on waivers after a loss and threatening to sue the Denver Broncos after quarterback Lee Grosscup was injured on a hard tackle, caused the Titans to be described as "the kookiest franchise in professional football."[59] Even with financial assistance from other AFL clubs, the Titans' payroll deficiencies continued, and Turner had to expend energy just enticing his team to suit up.[60] The team drew only 36,161 spectators to seven home games and finished with a 5–9 record.[61] The team was sold in March 1963 and became the New York Jets. Turner was fired that same month.[62]

Honors

Turner received numerous honors for his accomplishments as a football player. His honors include the following:

Family and later years

Turner was married twice. His first wife was Helen W. Turner with whom he had a daughter, Patricia. He was later married to Gladys Webber (1925–1998) on July 4, 1948.[75]

In 1950, Turner purchased a 1,200-acre ranch in Pidcoke, Coryell County, Texas, for $54,000.[54][76] He moved from Chicago to the ranch on a full-time basis in April 1958.[54]

After spending 1962 in New York as coach of the New York Titans, he returned to his ranch and began racing horses.[77] In 1965, he purchased a second ranch in New Mexico to pursue his interest in breeding horses. He also raced his horses at Sunland Park and Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico.[78][79]

In the 1970s, Turner moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he took a job as a manager for Interstate Steel Co. In 1974, while on a business trip to Chicago, he suffered a stroke at age 55.[80][81] In the 1980s, Turner developed further health problems, including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease requiring installation of a pacemaker. His wife, Gladys, also contracted lung cancer, and the couple lived in a house trailer on their Texas ranch.[50] Suffering financial troubles, he qualified in 1987 for an NFL pension of $780 per month.[50]

His wife died in October 1998 after 50 years of marriage.[82] In his later years, Turner also suffered from emphysema, and in March 1998, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died at age 79 at his ranch near Gatesville, Texas.[83][84] He was buried in Greenbriar Cemetery in Gatesville.

Head coaching record

NFL

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
NYJ 1962 5 9 0 .357 4th in AFL East - - -
Total 5 9 0 .357

References

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  2. ^ "Celebrate 50th Anniversary". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. March 10, 1957. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "The Dry Days of "Bulldog" Turner". The Gatesville Messenger. January 24, 1985. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d "Bulldog Turner an All-Star of the All-Stars". Chicago Tribune. August 24, 1940. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Murray Olderman (September 30, 1974). "'Bulldog' Turner beats Clyde". Dixon (IL) Evening Telegraph. p. 10.
  6. ^ "Associated Press Picture News". Corvallis (OR) Daily Gazette-Times. September 19, 1938. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Grid Training". Wilmington (DE) Morning News. September 16, 1938. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Let's Study Case of Bulldog Turner, HSU Center". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. July 1, 1939. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "2011 Hardin–Simmons Football Media Guide". Hardins–Simmons University. 2011. pp. 83, 88.
  10. ^ Bulldog Turner at the College Football Hall of Fame
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  15. ^ "Bears Sign Star: Bulldog Turner Given Three-Year Grid Contract". The Tennessean. June 23, 1940. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
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  23. ^ Dillon Graham (December 9, 1940). "4 Bears Chosen on All-Loop Pro Team". Ironwood (MI) Daily Globe. p. 10.
  24. ^ George Kirksey (December 12, 1941). "Bears, Packers Top All-Star Pro Gridders". Arizona Republic. p. 21.
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  26. ^ "Chicago Bears Place Four on All-Pro League Team". Los Angeles Times. December 9, 1941. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Bears, Packers Dominate Star Pro Team". The News-Herald. December 30, 1941. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
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  29. ^ "1942 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  30. ^ "Chicago Bears place five on all national pro loop team". Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star. December 6, 1942. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Bulldog Turner Not To Play In Pro Bowl Tilt". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. December 23, 1942. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "1943 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  33. ^ "Baugh, Turner and Hutson – 3 Unanimous on All-Pro". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. December 17, 1943. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Bears Trample Over Steelers, 49–7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 4, 1944. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "1944 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  36. ^ a b c "Chicago Bears' Bulldog Turner slated to play with Superbomber eleven here". The Nebraska State Journal. July 29, 1945. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Turner leads Bomber line". Lincoln Journal. November 7, 1945. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Bulldog Turner Joins Bears for Game in Detroit Sunday". Chicago Tribune. October 25, 1945. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "'Bulldog' Turner on Air Force All-Stars". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 4, 1946. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Bulldog Turner Back With Bears". The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA. March 26, 1946. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "1946 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  42. ^ "Bears Rout Redskins: Bears Trample Redskins, 56-20". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1947. pp. 4–1 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Where Is He Now: Clyde (Bulldog) Turner – Two Way Performer". Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times. December 16, 1983. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "1947 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  45. ^ Frank Eck (December 13, 1947). "Bulldog Turner Picked on All-Professional Grid Team". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "1948 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  47. ^ "Bulldog Turner All-League Again". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. November 10, 1948. p. 4.
  48. ^ "Bulldog Turner Retires, Takes Post at Baylor U." Wilmington (DE) Morning News. January 14, 1953. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "Clyde Turner Bio". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  50. ^ a b c "Ill-fated Turner still a Bulldog". Chicago Tribune. June 7, 1987. pp. 3–1, 3–10 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Bulldog Turner Decides On One More Farewell". Chicago Tribune. July 10, 1952. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ "Bulldog Turner Joins Staff: Jack Russell Is Named New Baylor Line Coach". The Waco News-Tribune. January 15, 1953. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Bulldog Turner Quits at Baylor". Abilene Reporter-News. February 9, 1954. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ^ a b c "Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame (part 2)". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. October 7, 1960. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "From the Cuff". The Gatesville Messenger and Star-Forum. November 11, 1955. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "POST-ed". The Gatesville Messenger and Star-Forum. July 25, 1958. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Bulldog Turner is new Titans coach". Lawrence Journal World. Kansas. Associated Press. December 19, 1961. p. 14.
  58. ^ "Titans Open At Home Vs. Denver Broncs". The Arizona Republic. September 29, 1962. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ "Titans Really Something: Harry Wismer Mastermind of Kookiest Team in Pro Football". Sandusky Register. Newspaper Enterprise Association. October 31, 1962. p. 8B – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ Goldstein, Richard (November 2, 1998). "Bulldog Turner, 79, a Star For Bears and Hall of Famer". New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  61. ^ "1962 New York Titans Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  62. ^ "Turner is fired as Titan skipper". Lawrence Journal World. Kansas. Associated Press. March 27, 1963. p. 14.
  63. ^ "Turner Is Named To Hall of Fame". The Abilene Reporter-News. October 21, 1951. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  64. ^ "'40 Gridders Could Make It Now". The Progress-Index (VA). June 22, 1968. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  65. ^ "Putting Around". The Amarillo (TX) Globe-Times. October 28, 1964. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
  66. ^ "Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. October 7, 1960. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  67. ^ "Turner Is Tapped For Hall of Fame". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. December 8, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  68. ^ "Bulldog Turner To Hall of Fame". The Salina Journal. March 23, 1966. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  69. ^ "Canadeo, Brock, Ray on All-'40s". Green Bay Press-Gazette. August 26, 1969. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  70. ^ "POST-ed". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. July 11, 1969. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  71. ^ "Texas All-Pro team would be contender". Great Falls (MT) Tribune. November 12, 1975. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  72. ^ "Clyde "Bulldog" Turner". Hardin-Simmons University. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  73. ^ "Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees". Hardin-Simmons University. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  74. ^ "50 Greatest Bears: Bulldog Turner". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  75. ^ "Mrs. Gladys W. Turner". The Gatesville Messenger. November 3, 1988. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
  76. ^ "This was News – 10, 20 Years Ago". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. August 19, 1960. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  77. ^ "Turner's Horse Wins First Race". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. June 12, 1964. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  78. ^ "POST-ed". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. March 26, 1965. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  79. ^ "POST-ed". The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum. March 4, 1966. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  80. ^ "H-SU Great Has Stroke". Abilene Reporter-News. August 30, 1974. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  81. ^ "Ex-"Monster" Has Stroke In Chicago". El Paso Herald-Post. September 13, 1974. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  82. ^ "Gladys Turner, wife of former Bears great". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1988. pp. 3–23 – via Newspapers.com.
  83. ^ "Bulldog Turner, star on Bears of '40s, dies: Center-linebacker earned 4 title rings (part 1)". Chicago Tribune. October 31, 1998. pp. 3–1 – via Newspapers.com.
  84. ^ "Bulldog Turner, star on Bears of '40s, dies: Center-linebacker earned 4 title rings (part 2)". Chicago Tribune. October 31, 1998. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

January 30, 2023
bulldog, turner, clyde, douglas, bulldog, turner, march, 1919, october, 1998, american, football, player, coach, elected, player, college, football, hall, fame, 1960, football, hall, fame, 1966, also, selected, 1969, 1940s, decade, team, turner, 1948, bowman, . Clyde Douglas Bulldog Turner March 10 1919 October 30 1998 was an American football player and coach He was elected as a player to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All Decade Team Bulldog TurnerTurner s 1948 Bowman Gum football cardNo 66Position Center Linebacker Offensive tacklePersonal informationBorn 1919 03 10 March 10 1919Plains TexasDied October 30 1998 1998 10 30 aged 79 Gatesville TexasHeight 6 ft 1 in 1 85 m Weight 237 lb 108 kg Career informationHigh school NewmanCollege Hardin SimmonsNFL Draft 1940 Round 1 Pick 7Career historyAs a player Chicago Bears 1940 1952 As a coach Chicago Bears assistant 1952 Baylor assistant 1953 Chicago Bears assistant 1954 1957 New York Titans 1962 Career highlights and awards4 NFL champion 1940 1941 1943 1946 7 First team All Pro 1941 1944 1946 1948 4 Pro Bowl 1940 1941 1950 1951 NFL interceptions leader 1942 NFL 1940s All Decade Team Chicago Bears No 66 retired 100 greatest Bears of All Time First team Little All American 1939 Career NFL statisticsInterceptions 17Fumble recoveries 5Player stats at NFL com PFRPro Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameTurner played college football as a center at Hardin Simmons University from 1937 to 1939 and was selected as an All American in 1939 After being selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1940 NFL Draft he played professional football for the Bears principally as a center on offense and linebacker on defense for 13 years from 1940 to 1952 He was selected as a first team All Pro eight times 1940 1944 1946 1948 and was a member of Bears teams that won NFL championships in 1940 1941 1943 and 1946 After his playing career was over Turner held assistant coaching positions with Baylor University 1953 and the Chicago Bears 1954 1957 He was the head coach of the New York Titans of the American Football League AFL during the 1962 AFL season Contents 1 Early years 2 Hardin Simmons 3 NFL playing career 4 Coaching career 4 1 Assisting coaching 4 2 New York Titans 5 Honors 6 Family and later years 7 Head coaching record 7 1 NFL 8 References 9 External linksEarly years EditTurner was born in Plains Texas in 1919 1 the son of Willie Lloyd Turner 1895 1973 and Ida Fay Rushing Turner 1893 1984 2 He attended Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater Texas 1 He played high school football for Sweetwater High at age 15 in 1934 3 Hardin Simmons EditTurner enrolled at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene Texas in 1936 at age 17 As a freshman he weighed 172 pounds and showed no outward signs of developing into a football player 4 By the fall of his sophomore year Turner had gained 18 pounds and won the job as the starting center on the Hardin Simmons Cowboys football team 4 By his senior year he had increased his weight to 235 pounds 4 Early in his career at Hardin Simmons Turner and teammate A J Roy encouraged each other in practice sessions by referring to each other by nicknames Turner was given the nickname Bulldog and Roy was known as Tiger 5 Turner later recalled his college experience as follows We got room board and tuition but we had to buy our own books and we were supposed to take care of two jobs I had to sweep out the gym and wait tables but I kind of farmed out the sweeping after a while It was tough but I loved it And the more I played the more I liked the game 3 In September 1938 Turner first gained national attention when Associated Press photographer Jimmy Laughead playing off Turner s strength and his background growing up in West Texas Hereford cattle country took his picture posing with a 240 pound calf around his shoulders 6 7 8 Turner later recalled posing with the calf That day about did me in I don t think I ve ever been so tired in my life 3 Turner played center for Hardin Simmons for three years and during that time the football team compiled records of 8 0 1 in 1937 8 2 in 1938 7 1 1 in 1939 9 10 At the end of the 1939 season Turner was selected by the New York Sun as the first team center on the 1939 College Football All America Team 11 He was also named to the Associated Press Little All America team 12 He played in post season all star games including the East West Shrine Game on January 1 1940 and the Chicago College All Star Game on August 29 1940 13 4 NFL playing career EditIn December 1939 Turner was selected by the Chicago Bears with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 1940 NFL Draft 1 He was the only lineman selected in the first ten picks 14 In June 1940 Turner signed a three year contract with the Bears 15 While Turner was in college he was the subject of recruitment efforts by George Richards the owner of the Detroit Lions An NFL investigation concluded that Richards had tampered with Turner by paying for Turner s dental work giving him 100 and advising him to announce publicly that he would not play professional football so as to dissuade other teams from drafting him The NFL fined the Lions 5 000 for the violation 16 As a rookie Turner at age 21 appeared in 11 games nine of them as the starting center for the 1940 Chicago Bears team that compiled an 8 3 record and defeated the Washington Redskins 73 0 in the NFL Championship Game 17 In the championship game Turner intercepted a Sammy Baugh pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown 18 At the end of the 1940 season he was selected as a first team All Pro by the Chicago Herald American and as a second team All Pro by the National Football League NFL United Press UP and International News Service INS 19 He was one of only two rookies Don Looney was the other to receive All Pro honors in 1940 20 In 1941 Turner appeared in all 11 games 10 as a starter for the 1941 Bears that compiled a 10 1 and again won the NFL championship Turner was selected as the All Pro center receiving first team honors on the so called official All Pro team selected by a committee of professional football writers for the NFL 21 22 as well as All Pro teams selected by the Associated Press AP 23 UP 24 Collyer s Eye CE 25 the New York Daily News NYDN 25 and the Chicago Herald American 1 The consensus selection of Turner as the NFL s top center marked a transition from Mel Hein who had been a consensus All Pro at the position for the prior nine years 26 Turner was a unanimous All Pro pick by the UP sports writers 27 In 1942 Turner started all 11 games and helped the Bears win the NFL Western Division title with an 11 0 record though the team lost to the Washington Redskins in the 1942 NFL Championship Game Turner led the NFL with eight interceptions in 1942 28 He scored two touchdowns one on an interception return and the other on a fumble recovery and return At the end of the 1942 season Turner was selected as the first team center on the All Pro team by the NFL AP INS and NYDN 29 Jack Mahon of the INS wrote that Turner was in a class by himself at center this season 30 Though invited to play in the Pro Bowl he was unable to do so due to a throat infection 31 In 1943 Turner started all 10 games and helped the Bears win their third NFL championship in four years He was selected as a first team All Pro by the AP UP INS NYDN and Pro Football Illustrated PFI 32 He was a unanimous pick by the AP sports writers 33 In 1944 Turner appeared in all 10 games for the Bears team that compiled a 6 3 1 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division On December 3 1944 Turner was shifted into the backfield late in a game against Card Pitt he had a 48 yard run for the only rushing touchdown of his career 34 He was selected as a first team All Pro by the AP UP INS and NYDN 35 In his first five seasons with the Bears he appeared in 58 consecutive games played all 60 minutes in eight of those games and won three NFL championships 36 At United States Army Air Forces basic training 1945 In January 1945 Turner was inducted into the United States Army Air Forces and was assigned as a physical training instructor 36 In 1945 he played for the Second Air Force Superbombers football team in Colorado Springs Colorado 36 He was granted furlough to play two games for the Bears and then returned to the Superbombers team where he finished the 1945 football season 37 38 At the end of the season Turner was the leading pick on the All Army Air Forces conference football team 39 In March 1946 Turner rejected offers to play in the All America Football Conference and signed a contract to return to the Bears 40 He appeared in all 11 games and helped lead the 1946 Bears to another NFL championship At the end of the season Turner was selected as a first team All Pro by the AP UP and NYDN 41 In 1947 Turner appeared in all 12 games for a Bears team that compiled an 8 4 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division During the 1947 season Turner intercepted a Sammy Baugh pass and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown 42 a moment that Turner later selected as the highlight of his career 43 At the end of the season he was picked as a first team All Pro by the AP NYDN and PFI 44 45 In 1948 Turner again appeared in all 12 games for the Bears team that compiled a 10 2 record and again finished in second place in the NFL Western Division For the eighth and final time Turner was selected as a first team All Pro center receiving first team honors from AP UP PFI and The Sporting News 46 47 Turner continued to play for the Bears for four more years appearing in all 12 games each year from 1949 to 1952 1 In his final year he played at the offensive tackle position 1 48 In 13 NFL seasons Turner appeared in 138 regular season games and seven post season games He intercepted 17 passes in the regular season and four more in five NFL championship games He was selected as a first team All Pro in eight of his 13 seasons 1 Turner was big for his day 6 ft 1 in 1 85 m 237 lb 108 kg however he was smart and very fast Turner later boasted about his talent as a blocker I was such a good blocker that the men they put in front of me and some were stars who were supposed to be making a lot of tackles they would have their coaches saying why ain t you making any tackles they d say that bum Turner is holding Well that wasn t true I could handle anybody that they d put in front of me 49 According to George Halas Turner was perhaps the smartest player he had in 40 years as the Bears coach a player who knew every assignment for every player on every player 16 Teammate George Musso once said of Turner Who knows what kind of player he would have been if he ever got to rest during a game 50 Coaching career EditAssisting coaching Edit During the 1952 NFL season Turner was both a player for the Bears and an assistant coach responsible for instructing the guards and centers 51 In January 1953 after retiring as a player Turner was hired as an assistant line coach at Baylor University in Waco Texas He had a ranch in nearby Gatesville and was responsible for coaching the offensive centers and defensive linebackers 52 He resigned his post at Baylor in February 1954 53 Turner was an assistant coach for the Bears from 1954 to 1957 54 He worked from the pressbox and communicated by telephone to George Halas about weaknesses he had observed in opponents defenses 55 He gave up his job with the Bears in 1958 to devote his full efforts to his ranch in Texas 56 New York Titans Edit In December 1961 Turner was hired as the head coach of the New York Titans of the American Football League 57 Despite a pre season injury to All AFL fullback Bill Mathis whose 846 rushing yards was second best in the 1961 AFL season the Titans opened the season with a 2 1 record 58 However owner Harry Wismer was broke and unable to pay the players who refused to practice and went on a two day strike Wismer threatened to put the entire team on waivers and his erratic behavior including hastily placing six starters on waivers after a loss and threatening to sue the Denver Broncos after quarterback Lee Grosscup was injured on a hard tackle caused the Titans to be described as the kookiest franchise in professional football 59 Even with financial assistance from other AFL clubs the Titans payroll deficiencies continued and Turner had to expend energy just enticing his team to suit up 60 The team drew only 36 161 spectators to seven home games and finished with a 5 9 record 61 The team was sold in March 1963 and became the New York Jets Turner was fired that same month 62 Honors EditTurner received numerous honors for his accomplishments as a football player His honors include the following In 1951 he was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation s Professional Football Hall of Fame He was the second Texan to be so honored following Sammy Baugh 63 When Turner ended his playing career the Bears retired his jersey No 66 64 As of 1964 only six numbers had been retired by the Bears Turner No 66 Bronko Nagurski No 3 George McAfee No 5 Sid Luckman No 42 Bill Hewitt No 58 and Red Grange No 77 65 In 1960 he was inducted into the National Football Foundation s Hall of Fame later renamed the College Football Hall of Fame 66 In 1961 he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame 67 In 1966 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 68 He was selected as part of the fourth class of inductees and was the third center following Mel Hein and George Trafton to be so honored In 1969 as part of the NFL s 50th anniversary the Pro Football Hall of Fame selected all decade teams for each of the league s first five decades Turner was selected as a center on the NFL 1940s All Decade Team 69 Also in 1969 Turner was selected by a panel of the Football Writers Association of America to the All Southwest football team of the preceding 50 years 70 In 1975 he was selected to the Texas All Pro football team made up of professional football players who once played college football in Texas Turner was the biggest landslide winner on the team 71 In 1979 he was selected as one of the inaugural inductees into the Hardin Simmons Athletic Hall of Fame 72 73 ESPN rated Turner No 7 on its list of the 50 greatest Chicago Bears 74 Family and later years EditTurner was married twice His first wife was Helen W Turner with whom he had a daughter Patricia He was later married to Gladys Webber 1925 1998 on July 4 1948 75 In 1950 Turner purchased a 1 200 acre ranch in Pidcoke Coryell County Texas for 54 000 54 76 He moved from Chicago to the ranch on a full time basis in April 1958 54 After spending 1962 in New York as coach of the New York Titans he returned to his ranch and began racing horses 77 In 1965 he purchased a second ranch in New Mexico to pursue his interest in breeding horses He also raced his horses at Sunland Park and Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico 78 79 In the 1970s Turner moved to Omaha Nebraska where he took a job as a manager for Interstate Steel Co In 1974 while on a business trip to Chicago he suffered a stroke at age 55 80 81 In the 1980s Turner developed further health problems including diabetes cancer and heart disease requiring installation of a pacemaker His wife Gladys also contracted lung cancer and the couple lived in a house trailer on their Texas ranch 50 Suffering financial troubles he qualified in 1987 for an NFL pension of 780 per month 50 His wife died in October 1998 after 50 years of marriage 82 In his later years Turner also suffered from emphysema and in March 1998 he was diagnosed with lung cancer He died at age 79 at his ranch near Gatesville Texas 83 84 He was buried in Greenbriar Cemetery in Gatesville Head coaching record EditNFL Edit Team Year Regular Season Post SeasonWon Lost Ties Win Finish Won Lost Win ResultNYJ 1962 5 9 0 357 4th in AFL East Total 5 9 0 357References Edit a b c d e f g Bulldog Turner Stats Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 11 2017 Celebrate 50th Anniversary The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum March 10 1957 p 12 via Newspapers com a b c The Dry Days of Bulldog Turner The Gatesville Messenger January 24 1985 p 1B via Newspapers com a b c d Bulldog Turner an All Star of the All Stars Chicago Tribune August 24 1940 p 16 via Newspapers com Murray Olderman September 30 1974 Bulldog Turner beats Clyde Dixon IL Evening Telegraph p 10 Associated Press Picture News Corvallis OR Daily Gazette Times September 19 1938 p 5 via Newspapers com Grid Training Wilmington DE Morning News September 16 1938 p 29 via Newspapers com Let s Study Case of Bulldog Turner HSU Center Abilene TX Reporter News July 1 1939 p 2 via Newspapers com 2011 Hardin Simmons Football Media Guide Hardins Simmons University 2011 pp 83 88 Bulldog Turner at the College Football Hall of Fame McAfee of Duke Rated Best Back in N Y Sun Pick Turner of Hardin Simmons Considered One of Great All Time Centers The Daily Argus Leader December 2 1939 p 3 via Newspapers com Loughney Is Selected On All Star Team Times Leader Wilkes Barre PA December 7 1939 p 26 via Newspapers com All America Turner Back From East West Classic Abilene Reporter News January 9 1940 p 2 via Newspapers com Turner Only Lineman Among First Ten Gridders Drafted By National League Abilene Reporter News December 10 1939 p 11 via Newspapers com Bears Sign Star Bulldog Turner Given Three Year Grid Contract The Tennessean June 23 1940 p 35 via Newspapers com a b Lions Tampered With Bulldog Turner The Corpus Christi Caller Times September 12 1975 p 20 via Newspapers com 1940 Chicago Bears Statistics amp Players Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 11 2017 Chicago Bears Run Wild To Win Pro Grid Title Amarillo TX Daily News December 9 1940 p 3 via Newspapers com 1940 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 11 2017 Three Dodgers Two Bears Win All Pro Berths Chicago Tribune December 22 1940 pp 2 4 via Newspapers com All National Pro Stars The Times Herald Port Huron MI December 30 1941 p 11 Four ChiBears Named On All Pro Loop Team The Times Herald Port Huron MI December 30 1941 p 11 Dillon Graham December 9 1940 4 Bears Chosen on All Loop Pro Team Ironwood MI Daily Globe p 10 George Kirksey December 12 1941 Bears Packers Top All Star Pro Gridders Arizona Republic p 21 a b 1941 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved April 4 2017 Chicago Bears Place Four on All Pro League Team Los Angeles Times December 9 1941 p 27 via Newspapers com Bears Packers Dominate Star Pro Team The News Herald December 30 1941 p 9 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Top Pass Interceptor The Abilene TX Reporter News February 19 1943 p 10 via Newspapers com 1942 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 Chicago Bears place five on all national pro loop team Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star December 6 1942 p 12 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Not To Play In Pro Bowl Tilt Abilene TX Reporter News December 23 1942 p 3 via Newspapers com 1943 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 Baugh Turner and Hutson 3 Unanimous on All Pro Abilene TX Reporter News December 17 1943 p 19 via Newspapers com Bears Trample Over Steelers 49 7 Pittsburgh Post Gazette December 4 1944 p 16 via Newspapers com 1944 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 a b c Chicago Bears Bulldog Turner slated to play with Superbomber eleven here The Nebraska State Journal July 29 1945 p 9 via Newspapers com Turner leads Bomber line Lincoln Journal November 7 1945 p 8 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Joins Bears for Game in Detroit Sunday Chicago Tribune October 25 1945 p 30 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner on Air Force All Stars St Louis Post Dispatch January 4 1946 p 20 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Back With Bears The Evening News Harrisburg PA March 26 1946 p 18 via Newspapers com 1946 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 Bears Rout Redskins Bears Trample Redskins 56 20 Chicago Tribune October 27 1947 pp 4 1 via Newspapers com Where Is He Now Clyde Bulldog Turner Two Way Performer Asheville NC Citizen Times December 16 1983 p 86 via Newspapers com 1947 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 Frank Eck December 13 1947 Bulldog Turner Picked on All Professional Grid Team Abilene TX Reporter News p 2 via Newspapers com 1948 NFL All Pros Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 16 2017 Bulldog Turner All League Again Abilene TX Reporter News November 10 1948 p 4 Bulldog Turner Retires Takes Post at Baylor U Wilmington DE Morning News January 14 1953 p 33 via Newspapers com Clyde Turner Bio Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved May 16 2017 a b c Ill fated Turner still a Bulldog Chicago Tribune June 7 1987 pp 3 1 3 10 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Decides On One More Farewell Chicago Tribune July 10 1952 p 53 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Joins Staff Jack Russell Is Named New Baylor Line Coach The Waco News Tribune January 15 1953 p 8 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner Quits at Baylor Abilene Reporter News February 9 1954 p 30 via Newspapers com a b c Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame part 2 The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum October 7 1960 p 8 via Newspapers com From the Cuff The Gatesville Messenger and Star Forum November 11 1955 p 14 via Newspapers com POST ed The Gatesville Messenger and Star Forum July 25 1958 p 17 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner is new Titans coach Lawrence Journal World Kansas Associated Press December 19 1961 p 14 Titans Open At Home Vs Denver Broncs The Arizona Republic September 29 1962 p 17 via Newspapers com Titans Really Something Harry Wismer Mastermind of Kookiest Team in Pro Football Sandusky Register Newspaper Enterprise Association October 31 1962 p 8B via Newspapers com Goldstein Richard November 2 1998 Bulldog Turner 79 a Star For Bears and Hall of Famer New York Times Retrieved February 18 2016 1962 New York Titans Statistics amp Players Pro Football Reference com Sports Reference LLC Retrieved May 11 2017 Turner is fired as Titan skipper Lawrence Journal World Kansas Associated Press March 27 1963 p 14 Turner Is Named To Hall of Fame The Abilene Reporter News October 21 1951 p 4D via Newspapers com 40 Gridders Could Make It Now The Progress Index VA June 22 1968 p 10 via Newspapers com Putting Around The Amarillo TX Globe Times October 28 1964 p 32 via Newspapers com Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum October 7 1960 p 1 via Newspapers com Turner Is Tapped For Hall of Fame The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum December 8 1961 p 1 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner To Hall of Fame The Salina Journal March 23 1966 p 14 via Newspapers com Canadeo Brock Ray on All 40s Green Bay Press Gazette August 26 1969 p 17 via Newspapers com POST ed The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum July 11 1969 p 19 via Newspapers com Texas All Pro team would be contender Great Falls MT Tribune November 12 1975 p 17 via Newspapers com Clyde Bulldog Turner Hardin Simmons University Retrieved May 17 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Hardin Simmons University Retrieved May 17 2017 50 Greatest Bears Bulldog Turner ESPN com Retrieved May 17 2017 Mrs Gladys W Turner The Gatesville Messenger November 3 1988 p 10C via Newspapers com This was News 10 20 Years Ago The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum August 19 1960 p 15 via Newspapers com Turner s Horse Wins First Race The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum June 12 1964 p 9 via Newspapers com POST ed The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum March 26 1965 p 13 via Newspapers com POST ed The Gatesville TX Messenger and Star Forum March 4 1966 p 13 via Newspapers com H SU Great Has Stroke Abilene Reporter News August 30 1974 p 58 via Newspapers com Ex Monster Has Stroke In Chicago El Paso Herald Post September 13 1974 p 26 via Newspapers com Gladys Turner wife of former Bears great Chicago Tribune October 27 1988 pp 3 23 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner star on Bears of 40s dies Center linebacker earned 4 title rings part 1 Chicago Tribune October 31 1998 pp 3 1 via Newspapers com Bulldog Turner star on Bears of 40s dies Center linebacker earned 4 title rings part 2 Chicago Tribune October 31 1998 p 3 via Newspapers com External links EditBulldog Turner at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Bulldog Turner at the College Football Hall of Fame Career statistics and player information from NFL com Pro Football Reference Bulldog Turner at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bulldog Turner amp oldid 1098680802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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